Within three days, except for the Wang family, the Chang family in Yuci, the Cao family in Taigu, the Qiao family in Qi County, the Qu family in Pingyao, the Li family in Jiexiu, the Hou family in Fan family, and the Kang family in Linfen, all received invitations from the governor.

"This governor has been in office for more than a year, but he has done a few good things. But not only our Qiao family, but also the Fan family, including the Fan family with a very good relationship with Prince Qing, have handed over a lot of posts this year, but he has not seen any of them. This time, he suddenly summoned several people to have dinner together. I'm afraid there was no good intention in it."

Yan Weixin is the boss of the Qiao family and Qiao Zhiyong's confidant. His concerns are actually the common concerns of several people. After all, this is not an ordinary official, but a second-rank official of the court. Is Qi easy to meet? Even if he fights with King Qing, he is worth it.

Qiao Zhiyong is already 65 years old this year. He has been in business for many years and has never seen any storm. Although he is not short of anxiety, he still smiles and said, "It's better, it's not a disaster, it's a disaster. You just said that this Lord Zhang is doing good things when he takes office. I heard that this governor is a famous person and a representative of Qingliu. He should not extort openly. In short, it will be clear in a few days, so why bother here to worry about it?"

Seeing the calm expression of the old boss, Yan Weixin's heart was calmed down.

Hongyan Tower is a famous restaurant in Taiyuan Prefecture. Although it is not the most luxurious, it is said that it was the chef who used to hire the imperial kitchen in Beijing, so there are many diners and a good reputation. On this day, Hongyan Tower seemed deserted.

It wasn't because the governor invited the whole thing to the Hongyan Tower. Zhang Zhidong's temperament was not easy to make a big show. But the people who couldn't resist were all the top wealthy people in Jin Province, including carriages, entourages, and guards, which almost surrounded the Hongyan Tower.

Zhang Zhidong had a green girl and two Goshha followers, but he seemed poor in it. He just had the replenishment of the pheasant on his chest, which made the wealthy businessmen sitting dare not look at him.

Oh, I said it wrong, it should be 'on the stand'. The governor didn't do it, who dares to do it?

The dishes had been prepared for a long time. As for whether it was cold, it wasn't really for the sake of eating anyway, so no one cared about it. Zhang Zhidong looked around and ten invitations arrived.

He nodded in satisfaction, and Zhang Zhidong signaled everyone to sit down and talk.

"I have been in Shanxi for a year and have been grateful for the support of all the gentry. Today I have prepared some wine, so I should be grateful." As he said that, he picked up the wine cup in front of me and said, "Come on, I wish you a glass."

Everyone stood up quickly and said, "I dare not", then accompanied Zhang Zhidong to drink a glass of warm wine.

After pouring a cup of wine again, Zhang Zhidong continued: "When I came here, you have also sent me a visit to me. However, I have just arrived and I am busy with business, so I met you today. I would like to forgive you for this glass of wine."

Zhang Zhidong said politely, but how dare several people take it seriously? He hurriedly raised his glass and said, "My Lord worked hard for the people of Shanxi. We all feel that we are in our busy schedule. Today, I am already flattered to be able to meet us in our busy schedules. I hope that you will not kill Caomin and others."

After saying that, everyone hurriedly drank the wine in a glass to show their respect.

After three rounds of wine, I have drunk two glasses now. This third glass is time to talk about the serious business.

"Now the Japanese official invites all the gentry to come. In addition to expressing gratitude, there is actually another thing to entrust. I hope you can support it."

The treasurer here is not an old monster with a long time. After hearing what Zhang Zhidong said, he knew that the actors of the "Hongmen Banquet" were coming. However, although Zhang Zhidong was a governor of a province, he did not hear what was going on, and these people did not dare to agree easily.

So the eyes of the table immediately focused on the head of the Kang family.

The Kang family is the richest man in Shanxi. Although the Kang family's business is mainly on the salt road in Jiangnan, because of the trouble of growing hair twenty years ago, the Kang family has transferred a lot of money back to Shanxi. And now they are taking on the task, so naturally everyone will not force themselves to make a move, so they will choose a tall one to decide.

Seeing everyone's eyes coming, Kang Youdao knew that he could not hide, so he bowed to Zhang Zhidong on his seat and asked softly: "I don't know what lord has to do? As long as we can, we will naturally take responsibility. If the province needs to build bridges and pave roads and run schools, we will donate tens of thousands of taels of silver, which is not a problem."

Kang Youdao opened his mouth and only cost tens of thousands of taels of silver, which seemed a lot, but Zhang Zhidong sneered in his heart.

Who doesn’t know that the Kang family is the richest man in Shanxi? If this wealthy businessman in the Qing Dynasty ranked in the ranking, seven or eight of the top ten were present. Just say that the Kang family, for his family, would have to have at least tens of millions of taels of silver. Now he is willing to pay tens of thousands of taels of taels of money, so how can he send beggars?

But what I thought in my heart was another word: "I have heard of all the gentry Gao Yi, I have heard of it. But this time I was looking for everyone, not to donate money. Of course, the Governor's Office is preparing to build a drug rehabilitation center. If you want to donate, I am grateful."

The Governor's Office has been proposing a ban on smoking for a day or two. Everyone here knows it very well, but everyone is waiting and watching, but no one comes forward to support it clearly. After all, those who can open a tobacco shop are not easy to mess with. At this time, Zhang Zhidong raised this matter, which was obviously not a good thing. So Kang Youdao smiled awkwardly and said, "It should be supported, it should be supported. However, the adults said that there is something else this time, and I wonder what we need to do?"

The other companies were also curious. What else could the government treat guests without asking for money?

Looking at everyone's faces, Zhang Zhidong stood up and tidied up his official uniform, cleared his throat, and then said: "This matter is assigned by the Emperor himself!"

When everyone heard this, it turned out to be the golden mouth of Long Live, so they quickly got up and knelt down, saying, "Long Live Long Live Long Live Long Live Long Live Long Live Long Live Long Live Long!'

"The emperor said that Shanxi merchants are good at managing finances and thrifty. In this world, eight of the ten or eight of them are from Shanxi, so the ability of Shanxi people to make money can be seen."

The so-called "scholars, farmers, industry and commerce" people regard reading as a first-class event, and merchants as the lowest-level people. At this time, I heard the emperor say that Shanxi people are good at making money, and this is not like praising people no matter how they hear it. Everyone's hearts trembled and they quickly climbed lower.

"The emperor's meaning is to integrate Shanxi merchant resources, jointly invest and open a unified bill account, "Jin Shang Bank". In the future, any financial business involving the court's procurement, taxation, food and salary, loans, etc. will be delivered to the Jinshang Bank for processing."

Damn! Are the stuffed cakes falling from the sky? Everyone kneeling on the ground was immediately fainted by the sudden thunder of happiness.

Although Shanxi's piaohao has begun to undertake some business from the court, it can only be obtained by individual piaohaohao, and it is not a big deal. For this, I have to give generous gifts to several officials in charge. I really don't know if it's what I want or what I don't deserve. But if the emperor opens his money and hand over all purchases, taxes and other things to the piaohaohao in the future, then the profit will not be profitable?

But why would the court leave such a good thing to us? Everyone asked carefully, with an excited and nervous mood: "The emperor can give mercy on the little people, making the little people frightened. Being able to do something for the emperor is a blessing for the little people to cultivate for three lives. But the little people don't know what needs to be done in this 'silver'?"

Zhang Zhidong was able to understand the feelings of these merchants at this time, after all, this was something he couldn't understand. What could the court get from it? But it was not the time to think about it.

"The emperor said that this silver account will be issued by the court, but everyone needs to invest. The first share capital is 5 million taels, and each of your ten companies is 500,000 taels. The annual profit dividends are distributed, and the court accounts for 10%, and another 10% is added to the share capital, and the remaining 80% of your companies are divided equally."

This is one of Guangxu’s intentions.

The Qing Dynasty needed money. Now the imperial court is facing a war with the French at any time. Facing the second largest power in the world today, it is not an exaggeration to make any preparations. However, there is one thing that no matter what preparations are, it must have an economy as the basis.

However, the Qing court's annual fiscal revenue was not enough to make ends meet. With the Qing court's tax revenue, it was only enough to maintain the bare operation of the court every year. Not to mention supporting a war, even if the military training and brave camps in various places had to be replaced, the governors themselves had to try to embezzle the taxes paid to the state treasury.

So Zaitian has to try to make money.

Let those merchants pledge? Such stupid ideas are Daoguang and those emperors of Jiaqing can accept, but Zaitian would not do such a brainless thing. On the one hand, the pledged silver is only a small part of the wealth of these wealthy merchants, and it is not enough. On the other hand, when these wealthy merchants use the silver to buy official positions or other privileges, they will want to use these privileges to make profits for themselves in order to earn back the money they had paid before.

This is tantamount to a vicious cycle, and the court actually got nothing - the money used by wealthy businessmen to buy officials was eventually corrupted from the people's taxes, which should have been from the court.

Then just kill all these wealthy businessmen in one go? Obviously, this kind of killing chickens and getting eggs is not something that an emperor like Zaitian could do.

Zaitian calculated it himself. Although the medical conditions are relatively difficult now, and a cold may kill him, training himself is considered to be a careful person. Even if fortune-telling is a bit harder, he can live for another twenty or thirty years.

If all these wealthy businessmen were beheaded and searched, the money they earned was only a few thousand taels. At most, they could support him for ten or eight years. What about the remaining ten or twenty years, and then kill them again?

Instead of fishing in a dry pond, it is better to raise a golden laying hen. So the little emperor had a sudden inspiration and prepared to play finance.

As for how this inspiration came into being, he didn't know. In short, an idea popped up in his mind and gradually improved it into an action plan.

Although the Qing Dynasty was poor, the people were very rich. The wealthy businessmen in Shanxi alone could get hundreds of millions of taels of silver. In addition to Shanxi merchants, there were also Hui merchants, Zhejiang merchants, Fujian merchants, and Guangdong merchants. Apart from these merchants, ordinary landlords, rich peasants, and small handicraftsmen, they could also give out some hot money. Although each person could get only a few taels of silver, there were thousands of such people, and the wealth they gathered was also objective.

Zaitian wants to absorb all the private wealth through the "bank" - or the silver number - and then turn it into a chicken that can lay golden eggs through capital operation!

In fact, if you want to open a bank, it is best that the court should first handle it, but the Qing court does not have this ability now.

First of all, the imperial court had no spare money to open a bank, but it was rich. With the current corruption of the Qing court, it was probably safe to lose money. It took time to punish corruption, but Zaitian didn't want to spend time here now. Instead of fighting with the clerks of the Ministry of Revenue, it would be better to borrow private capital directly.

Secondly, officials of the Ministry of Revenue do not have this ability now. If you want to say where people in China are the best at doing business, some people may praise Hui merchants, Zhejiang merchants, and some people may be the most flexible in their brains. Maybe some people may say Guangdong merchants, but if you want to say that people there are the best ticket numbers, then it is recognized that people from Shanxi are from the world.

Since Shanxi people are rich and capable, what else do you have to do with the Ministry of Revenue? So Zaitian simply abandoned the clerks and went directly to Shanxi merchants.

However, Zaitian's ticket number will not save up the money he earned like the old Xier's behavior.

Only when the silver is circulated and forms purchasing power can it have economic benefits. If the bank account in the past is as privately operated, the silver and gold earned are cast into silver, winter melon and golden arhats in the cellar, it will not have any effect.

Some of these Shanxi merchants have money, and attracting their deposits to market investment and revitalizing the economy is the benefit of the court. As for the follow-up projects, it is not the time. One day, we will use the money of Shanxi merchants to make a big game of chess.

Everyone heard that they only used 500,000 taels of silver, which would not hurt anyone's family, and the court only had 10% of the shares, which should be said to be more reasonable and was completely within the scope of everyone's acceptance, so everyone's heart was relieved.

But who will manage this bank account?

Everyone's heart was relieved and immediately raised up. If they were handed over to the government, it would probably be a meat bun to beat the dog, and they would definitely go without going back.

As if understanding everyone's concerns, Zhang Zhidong said in a timely manner: "In order to ensure the independence of the 'bill', the court decided to entrust the bank to the Qiao family to manage Qiao Zhiyong. One person from each of the ten companies established a board of directors, with Qiao Zhiyong as the first chairman, who is fully responsible for the operation of the bank, and his term of office is five years. No person in the court shall interfere privately in the operation of the bank. Five years later, everyone will elect the next chairman."

The Qiao family is also a large number of big families in Shanxi. They have been operating tickets for many years and have assets of no less than 70,800 taels of silver. Qiao Zhiyong is a humble and upright person with a very good reputation. The emperor appointed this person as the supervisor, and everyone can trust him. What's more, each family has one person to supervise.

After hearing Zhang Zhidong's words, Qiao Zhiyong quickly knelt down and kowtowed, "Caomins are entrusted by the emperor to work diligently and live up to the emperor's grace."

"Well~" Zhang Zhidong nodded with satisfaction, "The emperor said that the ultimate goal of the court is to achieve 'good goods and bring them to the world'! And not only do the business of the Qing Dynasty, but also go to the West and Southeast Asia."

When everyone heard this, they immediately shouted long live. At this point, seeing that the matter was almost done, they encouraged everyone and asked the Qiao family to go back and discuss a charter with everyone to report to the emperor, which made everyone disperse.

After seeing off these merchants, Zhang Zhidong sighed and thought to himself, no matter what, the emperor gave the matter to be arranged. As for whether he could do what the emperor said, he could not understand the rules anyway. Then take one step at a time.
Chapter completed!